Which to use
“alligator” and “alligators” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #19,009
- “alligator” frequency rank
- #33,508
- “alligators” frequency rank
- 52517
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | alligator | alligators |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Either of two species of large amphibious reptile, Alligator mississippiensis or Alligator sinensis, in the genus Alligator within order Crocodilia, which have sharp teeth and very strong jaws and are native to the Americas and China, respectively. | plural of alligator |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set alligator and alligators apart are highlighted. They share 9 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. alligator (/ˈæl.ɪ.ɡeɪ.tə/) and alligators (/ˈæ.lɪ.ɡeɪ.təz/) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “alligator” sits inside “alligators”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 52517, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
alligator is recorded at frequency rank #19,009, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈæl.ɪ.ɡeɪ.tə/. alligators is at rank #33,508, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈæ.lɪ.ɡeɪ.təz/.
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 52517, this pair ranks #156,373 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of alligator vs alligators
Shared letters: agilort. Private to "alligator": -. Private to "alligators": s.
"alligator" · 9 letters · shape VCCVCVCVC · "alligators" · 10 letters · shape VCCVCVCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
- alligator ← aligator · alilgator · allgiator · alliagtor · alligaotr · alligatorr · alligatro · alligattor
- alligators ← aligators · alilgators · allgiators · alliagtors · alligaotrs · alligatorrs · alligatorss · alligatosr
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "alligator" and "alligators" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "alligator" or "alligators"?
Remembering alligator vs alligators
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “alligator” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable